LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap. Copyright No. 

Shelfe_.cr_^_f/^^ 



UiNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



riY 

QnRiSTn/i/ Fete. 



-iu 



/T)y ^I7ri5tma5 pete. 



^LlZBETH B.vfCoMINS. 





BOSTON, U. S. A. 

L. Prang & Company. 






Copyric;ht, iSgo. 
By L. Pkanc; 8c Comhany, Boston. 



/ HAD arranged a little Ct|ristrr\as fete, 
^^^ To brigl)ten Up son\e yoL[tl:\fxll lives I Knew : 
Cl^ildrer) to ^l\on\ tl:|e toils ar|d cares of life 

Were too abilr[dant, ar|d its joys too few ; 
I'd bougl^t ti^e tallest tree ttiat I could fir)d 

Would stand Wittlin tlqe ltn\its of nqy Wall, 
Hnd every tinselled bougb^ Was lader\ down 

Wit]^ gifts to please t\\e l:|earts of eacY{ and all 



R loving frier)d, Mjhp Kr\eMj of rr\y iriterit, 

Ser^t rT\e a present ^t|icl\ sY\e asKed st|oiild be,, 
In rT\eiT\ory of Hinq ^l^ose birtlq ^e celebrate, 

Hiirig on tY\e wall wl)ere every eye coiJld see; 
It ^as a l^ead of Clqrist Upon "tl^e cross, 

H face witl^ agony iri every line, 
Upon ]qis bro\v tY\e cruel cro^n of tl]orns ; 

Outrageous insult to tlie King divine. 




*-^r■■\1^ 



It drilled rT\e to tt\e t^eart to look at it 

TY\at tortured face iri its deatli agonies; 
RY], not like tl^at ^oiild I irqprint tt^e Cl^rist 

Or\ little clni-ldreri's tender rqenqories. 
But as I l^eld tt^e picture in n\y l^and. 

Still looking sadly in tl^ose angxJistted eyes, 
Mysteriously tt\ere carT\e a v^^ondrous ct|ange, 

Wt)ict) tt)rilled iT\y bosonq M)itY\ a glad surprise. 



Tine cruel cross grev^ 'fairit bel:\irid brig]:it beanqs. 
Brig]:)t v^oridroxls bean|s ^]riic]:\ seerr\ed to spread 

afar, 
Hnd t)ave tt\eir centre in a gloiA^ing ligl^t, 

Wtiiclq slqaped itself into a radiant star ; 
7Y\e pallid face grev^ round and fair and young, 
Tt\e tortured eyes gre^ sv^eet and soft and 
rqild, 
Tl")e cro^n of tl^orns becarne a l:\olly vv^reatl) 
Encircling tl:|e fair ternples of a ct^ild. 



R c'qild WitY\ l^'appy, srT\iling, l^eavenly face 

His little arnqs in ber]edictiori spread, 
Outstretclied as if already l\e bestow^ed 

UnnUn^bered blessings on eacl\ yoiittiful l:\ead. 
"Hill tlius," I cried, ''slqall tt|ose dear c]:\ildreri see 

Tt\e Cl^rist-clqild blessing all tl^eir Ciiristn\as 
TT\irtl| ; 
No slqadow of tl^e cross slqall dirT\ tY\e joy 

Witln Wlqicl^ ^e celebrate tl\e Saviour's birtl)." 



1 seized mqy brus]r| arid worked v^itl^ feverisl^ 
Inaste 

To fix tt\ose features ere tl^ey'd fade aiA^ay; 
And not ir\ Vain I tried tl^e loving task, 

For it was done before tl^c close of day. 
That nig^t \vlnen all tt|e l^appy cl^ildren carqe 

To wY\at, to ttjen). ^as ar\ ericlianted place, 
Tt|ere Was not one wl\o did not greet witl) snqiles 

Ky pictured vision of tl)e Cririst-cr|ild's face. 



